Protestant Council to Determine Canonicity

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=SextusEmpiricus;10876399]Recently I was reading about the various councils (Trent, Carthage, etc.) that determined the Christian canon,
The first point, if Carthage, Hippo, etc. determined the canon, there would be no canons in the east that differ from Rome’s.
and it occurred to me that I could find no material on Protestant councils. I thought CAF would be an appropriate place to ask this question: Is the Protestant canon closed? And if so, how was the Protestant canon determined?
The reason would be there is no such thing a “The Protestant Church”. To expect varying communions with different origins to together hold a council, particularly on the canon of scripture seems odd.

Jon
 
Who did the Holy Spirit witnessed to, for the Canon outside the Catholic Church?
He witnessed to those Christians reading those books that they were indeed inspired. He witnessed to those writing the confessions. He witnesses to Christians living today.
The Common consent of what Church? And has this Church been on earth since Christ and His Apostles?
The universal church.
For which Protestants?
Do you know of any Protestants adding books to the Bible?
Thanks for your honesty. Who determined that it contains all things necessary to salvation and life?
Protestants determined it. It is the norm by which everything else should be judged.
This book contains all things necessary for salvation and life and there is no need to list its contents??? I’ll have to meditate on this for awhile…
Because its common knowledge what books are contained in the Old and New Testaments. Why kill trees to list books that everyone knows?
 
=PietroPaolo;10877236]Of course they were simply “individuals” - what else were they?
That they were individuals is exactly the point. Until Trent, Catholics had the privilege to question those books held throughout the history of the Church as disputed
Were they ecumenical councils? Were they Popes? Could they exercise the Magisterium of Church? Further, if you are going to cite Erasmus and Cajetan, perhaps you ought to include a quote and a source for their dissent on the canon. I’d like to see exactly what they said as so much of your argument turns on their writings.
“Here we close our commentaries on the historical books of the Old Testament. For the rest (that is, Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees) are counted by St Jerome out of the canonical books, and are placed amongst the Apocrypha, along with Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus, as is plain from the Prologus Galeatus. Nor be thou disturbed, like a raw scholar, if thou shouldest find anywhere, either in the sacred councils or the sacred doctors, these books reckoned as canonical. For the words as well of councils as of doctors are to be reduced to the correction of Jerome. Now, according to his judgment, in the epistle to the bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus, these books (and any other like books in the canon of the Bible) are not canonical, that is, not in the nature of a rule for confirming matters of faith. Yet, they may be called canonical, that is, in the nature of a rule for the edification of the faithful, as being received and authorised in the canon of the Bible for that purpose. By the help of this distinction thou mayest see thy way clearly through that which Augustine says, and what is written in the provincial council of Carthage.”
Cajetan: Commentary on All the Authentic Historical Books of the Old Testament.
No Council or Pope has ever contradicted Scripture, they may have contradicted your personal interpretation of Scripture, but not Scripture itself.
Universal Jurisdiction appears to be a contradiction of Nicea 325, canon 6. It also seems that it isn’t just the view of western non-Catholics.

Jon
 
If you are going to cite Erasmus and Cajetan, perhaps you ought to include a quote and a source for their dissent on the canon. I’d like to see exactly what they said as so much of your argument turns on their writings.
Cardinal Cajetan, just before the Council of Trent: Edited. Jon beat me to it! 😃
Why is this perplexing? I know Catholics that don’t believe in the Divinity of Christ. Does that mean the issue isn’t settled? Of course not. Again, Catholic belief is not determined by unanimity. It is determined by the Magisterium of the Church.
I’m not sure your example is a good fit for this conversation. The Divinity of Christ was clearly settled in Scripture - no Catholic (much less, a highly respected, learned Cardinal like a Cajetan!) would openly dispute His divinity at a council. The mere fact that there was an open debate regarding the canon at Trent proves that it was not official throughout the church.
No Council or Pope has ever contradicted Scripture, they may have contradicted your personal interpretation of Scripture, but not Scripture itself.
So then, no two Popes would ever disagree on matters of faith and morals, since both would be “correctly” interpreting scripture? I get it. When Pope Boniface VIII said, “Now, therefore, we declare, say, determine and pronounce that for every human creature it is necessary for salvation to be subject to the authority of the Roman pontiff,” what he really meant was, “Separated Churches and communities… have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation.” -Unitatis Redintegratio
A simple Google search
will show that Councils and Popes have often contradicted each other.

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SextusEmpiricus:
You seem to be saying, and please correct me if I have misunderstood, that you have just as much authority to decide Christian doctrine, including the canon, as any pope or council.
Not at all - I am a worm. What I am saying is that Lutherans do not have such a heavy need to define a canon in the same way that Catholics and Protestants do. As Pietro noted, it was Rome that felt the need to define a canon. Protestant Reformed Christians (particularly in America) sought to do away with anything deemed “Papist” in response to Trent’s reforms, and some removed the DC altogether. Lutherans take a different stance. Again, I’m going to have to direct you to the link I provided (and re-posted in post #30): forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=10877204&postcount=30

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PietroPaolo:
Your church, the LCMS, hold a 66 book canon of scripture…
Thus, again, I ask you - provide ONE name of ONE Christian who lived prior to the Reformation and who held the exact list of 66 book in your LCMS Bible.
You’re barking up the wrong tree here, Pietro. We do happen to be quite fond of that ESV translation and most of our pastors do not consider the DC to be Scripture, but again, I must stress that the Lutheran Confessions do not define a canon. In fact, Luther’s Bible was bigger than the one approved by Catholics at Trent (Special thanks to our friends in the next thread over for the link! :p): latifhakigaba.blogspot.com/2010/02/did-luther-throw-out-books-of-bible.html.

The LCMS also prints out a very nice hardcover version of this: cph.org/p-19305-the-apocrypha-the-lutheran-edition-with-notes.aspx The DCs are making a bit of a comeback in the LCMS, and in Lutheranism in general.
 
You’re barking up the wrong tree here, Pietro. We do happen to be quite fond of that ESV translation and most of our pastors do not consider the DC to be Scripture, but again, I must stress that the Lutheran Confessions do not define a canon. In fact, Luther’s Bible was bigger than the one approved by Catholics at Trent (Special thanks to our friends in the next thread over for the link! :p): latifhakigaba.blogspot.com/2010/02/did-luther-throw-out-books-of-bible.html.

The LCMS also prints out a very nice hardcover version of this: cph.org/p-19305-the-apocrypha-the-lutheran-edition-with-notes.aspx The DCs are making a bit of a comeback in the LCMS, and in Lutheranism in general.
It is also important to point out that Lutherans often use the DC’s liturgically in our lectionary, and in our hymnody.

Jon
 
. What I am saying is that Lutherans do not have such a heavy need to define a canon in the same way that Catholics and Protestants do.
I certainly agree with this - no Lutheran I know has gotten upset about this issue. When I bring up the fact that Luther’s bible (and the Catholic bible) have more books than our typical Bible, I encounter curiosity and eagerness to find out more.
 
I certainly agree with this - no Lutheran I know has gotten upset about this issue. When I bring up the fact that Luther’s bible (and the Catholic bible) have more books than our typical Bible, I encounter curiosity and eagerness to find out more.
I don’t even think a defined canon of scripture would be considered church-dividing by most knowledgeable Lutherans, assuming major doctrinal issues were solved between us and Rome.

Jon
 
He witnessed to those Christians reading those books that they were indeed inspired. He witnessed to those writing the confessions. He witnesses to Christians living today.
Who are these Christians that wrote the Westminster confessions and determined what the Canon of Scriptures was? And did they come from that same Church Christ and His Apostles founded?

Are you saying that the Holy Spirit abandoned His Church and created a new one that wrote the Westminster confessions? This same Holy Spirit told these Christians at the Westminster confessions the Canon? Where is this recorded? How exactly did the Holy Spirit communicate this new Canon?
The universal church.
Catholic = Acts 9:31 = The Church as a Whole. The Universal Church has spoken about the Canon and it was finally closed at Trent.
Do you know of any Protestants adding books to the Bible?
Adding? I don’t know of any.

Substracting, I know plenty. Practically all of the different Protestant Churches are missing seven (7) books in the Old testament. Then there’s other Churches (Church of Christ - from the Restoration Movement -not LDS) that use only the New Testament. Then there’s other churches that don’t accept the letters from Paul.
Protestants determined it. It is the norm by which everything else should be judged.
Which Protestants specifically? And was this private revelation for the new Church after 1,500 years?

You know, we (Catholics) can point to specifics, all I have heard from you in these answers is really vague and inconclusive.
Because its common knowledge what books are contained in the Old and New Testaments. Why kill trees to list books that everyone knows?
Common knowledge to whom? And how did this common knowledge came to us? When and where and whom did this common knowledge was revealed to?
 
So other than 2 guys (Erasmus and Cajetan) out of millions there is no other disagreements?

What is the percentage of that dissension?

I’m going to divide this on only 1 million:

2/1,000,000 =** 0.000002 %**

So because of 0.000002% we cannot determine or conclude that there was agreement on the Canon? :confused:

Wow.
 
So other than 2 guys (Erasmus and Cajetan) out of millions there is no other disagreements?

What is the percentage of that dissension?

I’m going to divide this on only 1 million:

2/1,000,000 =** 0.000002 %**

So because of 0.000002% we cannot determine or conclude that there was agreement on the Canon? :confused:

Wow.
No, Jose, there were numerous of the course of history, starting with Eusebius and St. Jerome.

Jon
 
So other than 2 guys (Erasmus and Cajetan) out of millions there is no other disagreements?

What is the percentage of that dissension?

I’m going to divide this on only 1 million:

2/1,000,000 =** 0.000002 %**

So because of 0.000002% we cannot determine or conclude that there was agreement on the Canon? :confused:

Wow.
 
Protestanst like to point out that so and so disagreed with this or that or does with Catholic doctrine. That’s not the point. The point is Catholics recognize Church authority to define the Canon and close it regarding this topic.
 

Not at all - I am a worm. What I am saying is that Lutherans do not have such a heavy need to define a canon in the same way that Catholics and Protestants do.
As Pietro noted, it was Rome that felt the need to define a canon. Protestant Reformed Christians (particularly in America) sought to do away with anything deemed “Papist” in response to Trent’s reforms, and some removed the DC altogether. Lutherans take a different stance. Again, I’m going to have to direct you to the link I provided (and re-posted in post #30): %between%
http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=10877204&postcount=30

Trent was a response to Luther and the rebellion and protestant movement.

The definition of the Canon was response to the desecration of the Bible started and spawned by Luther and his friends.

To say you do not care about protestants, to dismiss protestantism, and say you do not care or are bothered by it…is turning a blind eye to the Luther’s actions.

It is avoiding admitting responsibility altogether. It is akin to covering one’s eyes and putting ear plugs in one’s ears.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaiah45_9
So other than 2 guys (Erasmus and Cajetan) out of millions there is no other disagreements?
But what you guys always fail to point out…is that Jerome, Eusebius, Cajetan, et al…always followed the judgement and submitted to their bishops…as opposed to Luther.

And their actions did not rise to the level of excommunication.

And one more thing…why do you have to cite Jerome, Cajetan, et al?

Can you not defend Luther by actions of the man, not what others did?
 
Universal Jurisdiction appears to be a contradiction of Nicea 325, canon 6. It also seems that it isn’t just the view of western non-Catholics.

Jon
Looks like it is a matter of interpretation. From what I gather, Jon…you seem to be favoring the OC interpretation?
 
No, Jose, there were numerous of the course of history, starting with Eusebius and St. Jerome.

Jon
Brother, pablope beat me to it. There will always be some who do not fully agree with __________ (Fill in the blank). But even when they don’t agree, there are some that will concede to authority.
Jose does not troll. He is steadfast and truthful.

Jon
Thank you Jon, I am again humbled by your charity. God Bless and I pray your recovery is coming along well and most importantly fast!
In that case, Jose, you deserve and have my apologies. Mondays get long…
Understood Don, thank you. Sadly I’ve been there, done that, and have a t-shirt :o
 
Protestanst like to point out that so and so disagreed with this or that or does with Catholic doctrine. That’s not the point. The point is Catholics recognize Church authority to define the Canon and close it regarding this topic.
Of course they do, Mary. I would say that those mentioned who did not hold the DC’s equal no less so. That’s the point. Cajetan was not disobeying or contradicting the Church. Before Trent this was allowed. Trent ends the discussion for Catholics about the canon of scripture. Not Hippo, not Carthage.

Jon
 
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